Department of Defense Asked to Fight Youngstown Blight - WFMJ

Members of America's Military are being asked to take part in an important mission in Youngstown.

The city has applied for a grant to utilize Department of Defense personnel to provide demolition, trash and brush removal services at no cost to the taxpayers of Youngstown.

The activities would take place in the neighborhoods between Indianola Avenue, Midlothian Boulevard, South Avenue, and Glenwood Avenue in efforts to stabilize the area and curb further population decline.

Should all activities on the south side be completed, work will also take place in the neighborhoods between Gypsy Lane, Broadway Avenue, Logan Avenue, and Elm Street.

Properties will be cleared of trash, brush, and debris after demolitions take place and will be available for adjacent property owners to purchase at fair market value.

The city would still be responsible for asbestos abatement costs and dumping fees.

The work would take place in 2016, and DOD personnel would be housed at the Vienna Airbase.

The effort would be carried out under the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training, which according to the DOD web site, provides real world training opportunities for service members and units to prepare them for their wartime missions while supporting the needs of America's under served communities.